TEST DRIVE MEME ( 017 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #17

Hello, and welcome to LifeAftr! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.

Remember that Reserves will open on November 17th, and Applications on November 24th!

Two important notes:

1. LifeAftr's test drives take place on the island of Mu, which exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?

2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences, largely in the form of test drive reward items.

Is Anyone There?
What initially promises to be a relaxing island getaway is anything but. The tropical backdrop is all there - swaying palms, crystalline shores, white sand beaches, the whole hog. It's as idyllic as Ensō ever gets in the real world, the waters sparkling just that much more with a polish of dream-shine.

The real problem here is that you're not alone.

While they might be little more than a misted, formless shape at first, they'll rapidly take a more solid form as time goes on: a specter of a single person of great emotional significance. Whoever you might be seeing, they're here to rouse some aspect of your life that was not fully resolved. Someone you did not mourn, someone you did not grieve, someone you loved, someone you cut ties with unkindly, someone who represents a chapter in your life that you have thus far sought to repress. Tailing you relentlessly, refusing to be ignored or brushed aside or forgotten, this specter is hungry for your attention to the exclusion of all else. They will bring every painful association to light and rub those wounds raw, to a terrifyingly parasitic extent. They crave your attention, your love, your devotion, your fear. They are tethered to you, and cannot tolerate the thought that you might pay attention to anyone or anything else.

However they might have been in life, however fondly or not you may remember them, this shadow of them is merely that: a shadow. Desperate for your attention, and likely to grow jealous if you dare direct it anywhere else. They can't live without you. Why should you get to live without them?

In fact...why should you get to live at all? If you don't give them the attention they crave, they might start to demand it a shade more vigorously. They're only going to grow more solid as time wears on - and while no one but you can see them, they have the power to affect you very physically if they so choose.

Choose Your Own Adventure
What you have before you, dear traveler, is a very linear path forward. Deep, tropical woodland, jungle-like in texture and evening-dark, and a well-trodden path that stretches onward in a seemingly infinite, winding road. There is no way to go but backwards or forwards. Or, for the particularly brave...well, you could try moving off the beaten path, but we wouldn't recommend it. As it happens, the surrounding vegetation in this area is mostly comprised of a very irritating sort of foe.

As it happens, most traditional mimics take the form of wooden chests to befuddle and then snack upon any intrepid explorers foolish enough to open a container without checking for teeth first. Such is not always the case, however! Mimicries are what we will tentatively dub...distant cousins of your more conventional mimic. In the waking world, most of them prefer to assume the form of bushes, waiting for an unsuspecting traveler to tread upon the roots that will then snap around their ankles and reel them in, leaves parting to reveal a row of very nasty, very pointed jaws. Tonight, on Mu, their aptitude at blending into the vegetation to prey on the absent-minded explorer is out in full force.

While mimicries are very skilled at impersonating their surroundings, there are plenty of holes in their disguise for those keen of eye. An alert enough traveler may glimpse a pair of yellow, reptilian eyes blinking out from the vegetation before they fade just as fast. Mimicries are highly hostile, prone to attacking once they feel you've drawn close enough for them to take a good chomp, and don't tend to let go of their prey until either it is dead or they are. Armed with spiny teeth and a terrier-like refusal of relinquish their grip under any circumstances, mimicries can vary from genuine danger to outright irritant.

The good news is that, despite their number, mimicries are terribly vulnerable to fire. Happy hunting!

Caught in the Rainbow Current
On the more peaceful side of things, you're also liable to wake on a much quieter island destination - and this time, neither ghosts from your past nor RPG-styled foes will be there to spoil your stay!

Instead, you can take heart in the drifting, multicolored lights that shimmer off the seafoam and flotsam. A bale of kaleidoshells are passing through this region, and they're certainly taking their time in doing so. Resembling a cross between turtles and dugongs, kaleidoshells are so named for their distinctive radiance. Their scales and rainbow-colored shells can get as large as six feet across. The shifting colors on their backs are both bright and reflective. A vast enough number of kaleidoshells can allow for the illusion of an underwater aurora borealis, which is precisely what is occurring now. Kaleidoshells are placid and peaceable creatures by nature in addition to being unfailingly pretty to look at. As they are largely sea-dwelling, their presence in the archipelago is usually seasonal. However, despite the autumn season, Mu has elected to make an exception. Kaleidoshells are particularly slow and unwieldy on land, and thus not much of a threat, but you're probably better off not trying to poach their eggs. They do, however, make a very fine sight around the waters of Mu, especially in this artificial evening. Luminescent, their rainbow patterns glow underwater with the dim pulse of drifting mood lights.

So relax, take in the sights...or wade in to swim alongside them, if you like. They won't mind the company, and there's something singularly enchanting about getting to swim in the tide of a rainbow.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

[flower_of_innocence]

[The specter notices Guzma far before Lillie does and redoubles her efforts to pull the child away. To where, Lillie can't guess, but she knows she doesn't want to go. Not with her. Part of her isn't totally sure it's really her mother - it's extremely rare for her to get so physical, but knowing now what kind of harm she was willing to let come to others? Lillie can't put it past her anymore.

As soon as Guzma puts his hand on Lillie's shoulder, the specter lets go of her arm and just about shrieks in anger.

"How dare you?! He doesn't care about you! He's just a thug, a brute, a LIAR - he'll turn on you, you know. You're just a nuisance to him in the end. I'm the only one who cares about you. I'M your family!"

It takes everything the child's got not to cling to the stronger man and just cry. She wants this to be over. Wants it to have never happened. But she can't run forever. This is her chance, whether she's ready or not, to face her mother. So she stands up straight, even though she's shaking, and clenches her fists.]

No. That's not true. That's not true! He's my FRIEND and in the time I've known him, he's done more for me than you EVER have or EVER will!

[It's amazing, how once the anger starts to flow it just keeps on going. There's a thousand things she wants to say next but none of them quite seem like enough. How do you make someone understand years of torment, of insidious manipulation, when they're the ones who inflicted it? And she can tell, just by the way her mother's lip curls and she tosses her hair, that she won't take any of it to heart. So she keeps it short. Hisses the words she knows will sting the most.]

Guzma is not a brute. He is not a liar. He's not ugly inside, like you are.

[yallstupid]

[Lillie words strike a chord, somewhere, and for a moment Guzma's terrible fury seems to flicker, and her looks down at the child as if she just said something he doesn't really believe. Friend, maybe, but she may be putting him a few steps higher than he actually is. As far as he can tell, he didn't do much for the kid other than tell her, well...the truth. And his version of the truth is biting, fiery, and harsh. It's not a truth people want to hear. He he pauses, a moment, and just stares.

She looks more like the brave kid he knows who stood up to the beastly woman in Ultra Space, the strong young lady who rode the legendary Pokemon with Luna to rescue him and her terrible mother. Despite everything...despite every terrible thing they did, she still had enough heart to bring them both back. Luna's not here to support her though, and he...well, he's not sure he can fill those shoes--

But hell if he's not going to try.]

Preach it girlie, y'doing great. [It's muttered, quietly, to Lillie alone as he leans forward toward her ear. His affectionate tone doesn't last long though, before he's standing to his full height - all six feet, four inches of him - and deadeyes the woman that he so hates. he can't hear anything of what Lusamine is arguing, but he knows it can't be good. Lies - a sack of refuse disguised with diamonds and pearl to make it seem more appealing.]

Dang but I wish I could see ya, Madame Prez...cuz I'd spend a whole lotta time making you ugly on the outside, too.

[flower_of_innocence]

[If looks could kill, Lusamine would be on a rampage. Her eyes flick back and forth between Guzma and Lillie, almost as if she's not sure which one she hates more right now. Then her expression softens and that's when Lillie folds. Because it's the expression of her mother, not the wicked woman who would literally kill just to get her way. It's a dirty trick and they both know it. A way of striking that deep, buried familial tie.

The words are thick and sweet as honey, laced with "darlings" and "daughters" to make her second guess herself. She talks about how she wants things to go back to the way they used to be, and how she can't do that if she's abandoning her for Guzma of all people, and how Gladion came back to her after Lillie left, so why can't she? Come home, away from this island - she has a secret way of coming and going, she'll show her if she wants to come home. Deep down, Lillie knows it's all lies and empty promises. But if it isn't, could she ever forgive herself for turning her back on the one thing she wants the most?

Guzma's words startle her, though. If he could see her? Was...was he having trouble seeing? What happened? Or was Lusamine...was she really there? Her grip had been real enough, looking at the red marks on her arm where her fingers had dug in. There are tears and uncertainty in her eyes when she looks up at Guzma for clarification. She's not sure if she wants her mother to be there or not. Whether she wants a chance at a family - no, HER family, once more.

It's confusing. It's overwhelming. It's bittersweet if true. And by every guardian and deity, she just wants it to be over.]

[yallstupid]

[Guzma can feel Lillie's eyes on him and he glqnces down to meet her gaze. Her can see the tears welling up in her eyes, the confusion, the fear, the quiet plea to just have it all be over once and for all. It twists the knife a little too close for comfort, and Guzma has to tear his eyes away from the girl's face with a deep and steadying breath. He really hates how much she reminds him of himself, when he was her age. That's probably why he's so protective, too.]

...You heard right. Whatever y'all is seeing ain't really there. This place's got some kinda sick power to dig up what really means something to you...and not always in the best ways. But-- [He picks up a rock from the ground, bounces it in his hand, then flings it right at - and through - the image of Lusamine.]

...ain't nothing more'n just a mirage. Not worth bursting a lung over, yeah? C'mon, I'll carry y'back. [And into his arms Lillie goes, whether she likes it or not. Guzma carries her in the crook of one arm, tilting his head as he looks her over, ignoring the specter behind them. because their--her attention is what it wants.]

Y'did your hair up, huh? Looks nice.

[flower_of_innocence]

[It's more instinct than anything that has Lillie reaching out to stop Guzma from throwing the rock. It's not that she doesn't trust him, it's that she doesn't trust his temper, and she knows nothing gets him quite as fired up as Lusamine. With good reason, but still. And maybe part of it is that she's still not sure if she wants his words to be true or not. It doesn't matter either way, she's not quick enough.

The specter yelps, flinches - feigns injury when the rock makes "contact". But it's too late. Lillie has seen the way her form flickers, illusion interrupted, and her eyes rest on the rock as it falls to the ground behind her. It's over then. This interaction is over. She won't give such a cruel and wicked ghost any more ground than she already has. Not while it's wearing her face.

Lillie lets herself be lifted quietly. Her eyes linger on Lusamine- No...the image of Lusamine, for just a moment longer. She's met with a cold, angry stare. A familiar look. But it is, perhaps, the last time she will see it. Real or not. This is the decision she makes as she lays her head against Guzma's shoulder and grips his jacket tight. When exactly Nebby got out, she has no idea, but the creature floats steadily beside them, allowing her to hold the bag she's carrying against her stomach to keep it from bumping against Guzma's side.

She's aware he's trying to distract her, so she plays along as best she can with the aching in her chest.]

Thank you...I got the idea from Harv. [Her voice is strained with the effort it's taking not to look back as the specter tries a new tactic: crying.] I thought it might help to keep the hair out of my eyes while I helped on Nuidan.

[yallstupid]

[If only Guzma could had heard her squeak...it'd give him a sick sort of satisfaction he'd only dreamed of. Alas, one can only keep dreaming.

It's still a bit weird to have Lillie resting against him - he likes the kid plenty, and he's all but adopted her into his faux family of sorts by now - but she is the one he knows the less about. Or, well...not been around as long. He glances down at her head on his shoulder and shifts a little, sniffing as he feels the heat tickle the back of his neck. Definitely not from his anger - that's...well, it's become a calm simmer, the witch won't go away even if he's purple in the face, that much he knows, but there really is no point in working himself up about a ghost. Save his strength for the real deal. How he'd love to backhand the actual Lusamine right across her perfect, pristine, porcelain face...shatter the image of beauty she's dusted herself in.

But those are thought for another time. Lillie nibbles his bait and he's thankful for it. She's a good kid - a smart one, too - and he continues to talk to her, his grip...strangle tight around her. Protective, of course, but also...strangely clingy. Hm.]

Huh, no kidding? gotta thank that ol' mop. Lemme know if y'ever need it braided. Got 'bout, uh...forty little sisters' worth'a practice in me. [And that isn't a lie. The girls would oft do it amongst themselves, but...there is only about three working bathrooms in the mansion. Space gets crowded sometimes, and if the Boss needs to do his hair or shave, you get out or move over.]

[flower_of_innocence]

Wow, there were really that many people in Team Skull?

[The fact that the specter is crying seals the deal completely for her - Lusamine would never shed a tear over her, that she's fairly certain of. So it's a little easier to take a deep breath and respond this time, especially since it's not following them. It seems to realize the game is up - or perhaps it's just Mu taking mercy on the child.

And there's a strange comfort in the fact that Guzma refers to Team Skull as his siblings. It's starting to click into place that, perhaps, the real goal of the team was not to steal pokemon and cause havoc. Not to say that they don't do that anyway, but perhaps there was more to it.]

You must have cared for them a lot, to take the time to learn how to braid their hair for them.

[yallstupid]

[The shrug is a little hard to do with Lillie braced and sitting in the crook of his arm, but Guzma attempts anyway. I mean, he's never really sat down to count all the wayward nobodies that come his way, looking for a place of acceptance...but there are indeed a lot of people in the world that need someone to at least look after them. Team Skull and Po Town in general may not have been the best place, mind, but they had something going together. Better than being homeless and alone, that's for damn sure. Or sometimes, in the place they had escaped from...the people they had escaped from. Guzma knows that a little too well, and Lillie, too.

He continues, glad that it seems like the kid's calmed down enough to talk to him. Perhaps she's real good at ignoring the ghost of her mom, or the mirage only lasts in Mu for a short while? He's not aware, Guzma can't see Lusamine either way (and thank god for that), but it's good that Lillie has a focus elsewhere. Though, er-hem...he does scoff a bit at what she says feeling his face heat up a little, and a frown curl on his face. Don't remind him how much he misses those stupid punks.]

Tch! I just don't like to see kids cry--unbelievable, I know. [Considering he was the cause of a lot of tears back in the day. Didn't mean he enjoyed it, once the anger burned away..and the facade of a confident and bold-faced thug was just an ashy mess.] 'Sides, no little sister of mine s'gonna go running 'round like some shaggy Stoutland! They all ladies.

[He grins, the curl merging into a bit of a dark twist.] Ahah...who'm I kidding? They were punk princesses that'd put a knife in your back if'n you overstepped their boundaries, but they looked dope as heck, yo!

[flower_of_innocence]

[Lillie is quiet for a long moment. She wonders if she could ever be like them - like Guzma's "little sisters" - strong and confident, and able to turn her anger out on the world instead of letting it chew her up inside and break her down. But...no, she couldn't. There would always be that part of her that rejects violence and general confrontation. There would always be the echo of suffering endured that would keep her from putting her feelings all the way out there.

And perhaps her next challenge in life would be learning that it is okay to be that way. That it is okay to be whatever she is - with the pressure and influence of her mother stripped away, if she could just learn not to use Guzma's personality as a crutch, she could maybe discover what that means. Maybe she wouldn't ever be a punk princess, but maybe she could be Lillie, for once.

She let herself close her eyes. The emotional weight of her thoughts finally getting to her.]

I don't understand all of the choices Team Skull makes... [Theft and threatening to fight everyone chief among them.] But I think they must be good people at their core, especially since they follow you.

[yallstupid]

[Everyone can be brave, they just need the right sort of push. Guzma was...well, he was a lot like Lillie when he was younger - a smart kid with a knack for something in particular. He was nice enough, but his upbringing changed him entirely. He became bitter, angry, violent. His self worth crumbled to nothing, and he was molded into something darker than what he could have, should have, grown into.

It's part of the reason he's not entirely fond of being called anything than what he is, and gives Lillie's hair a soft sort of tug. Just enough to catch her attention than to really hurt. Don't forget the person he was, kiddo, you've just seen the better parts of him lately.]

Yo, don't think I ain't a punk and a thug myself, girly. My record isn't spotless, and I was still the boss of Team Skull - doing real nasty things and telling my grunts to do them things, too. I'm mean, I'm scary, and I can and will break someone's jaw if'n I feel like it. I ain't ever gonna be a good dude...but all I can do is try to be better'n what I used to be, yeah.

A couple'a reckless brats reminded me of that.

[flower_of_innocence]

Hey! [She brushes the stray lock of hair behind her ear to prevent Guzma from pulling it again.] I said at their core!

[Lillie can tell when she's pushing it - especially when it comes to Guzma, who makes it very clear where the line is at all times. But she has one last thing that can't go unsaid.]

I think...people are their intentions. You must have had your reasons for doing things the way you did, but I think that maybe you're a better person than you think you are.

[So much more lies behind that. His intentions were not always good, she knows that. But he gave those kids a home and a purpose - and those were good intentions. He gave HER a home and freedom with it. Luna trusted him. He may have done bad things, and she won't necessarily excuse those things, but somehow she doubts he was ever in a position to accomplish his goal any other way.

She owes a lot to Guzma. She won't forget where he came from, but she won't forget what he's becoming either.]

[yallstupid]

The core of this bad apple's none too sweet, neither. [And the look he gives her does indeed push the matter - drop it. Her words are kind, they come from the heart, but Guzma's not one to believe simple words, no matter how well they may be dressed. He can agree with some things - he did well by his little brothers and sisters, sure...but his methods were still pretty terrible. Things aren't as simple as black and white with Team Skull.]

Tch...well, least one of us thinks that. [That's as much of a 'thank you' as she's going to get, and Guzma shifts again so she's more comfortable. He gives a brief look over his shoulder, still half expecting to see the witch following them, but...nothing. Thank god.] Anyway, I got a favor t'ask you.

When you wake up, kiddo, you come back to the house, yeah? Or call me on them rock doohickeys. I'll try'n wait for you there, or come get'cha. Don't forget, a'ight? [He's quite serious about that, kiddo. Don't let this just be a dream. He's seen too many specters of the past, and he...he's starting to realize being alone like this isn't as cut out as he thought it may be.]

[flower_of_innocence]

[That's right, there's a bit of a mystery to solve. How she wound up asleep after having gone to take a walk on the beach. She remembers leaving her things at the shack early in the morning, getting up just to take a stroll around the islet and try to grasp that feeling of being in between worlds that she always gets at dawn and dusk. something to hold onto for herself before getting to work on Nuidan.

Had she simply never woken up? Dreamed the start of her day?]

Oh...have I been gone very long? I only stepped out just this morning, I thought...

[yallstupid]

[There's a pause, as Guzma's steps seems to slow, and his grip on Lillie seems to sag a little. He still holds her firmly, but there's a very immediate shift in his body that's hard to miss, even if he were trying to hide it better. His muscles tense after a moment as he readjusts the girl in his arms and breathes out a bit, not exactly meeting her eyes when he responds in turn, his pace coming back, but now a bit...fevered. Like he's moving purposely faster with no real direction. Just trying to move.]

...Yeah. It's--uh, i-it's been a while. [He purses his lips, and there's a scowl that begins to form, the...not quite anger, but frustration, beginning to fill the spaces where every other emotion begins to flee.] 'Bout a month...maybe longer.

[flower_of_innocence]

[Lillie gets the immediate and unshakable sense that in her absence, something terrible has happened. Her heart sinks at the way Guzma's step slows, the way his strong voice falters in the face of something she can only guess at. A month? Maybe longer? Her mouth hangs open in silent shock - she's never lost time like this before.

Beside them, Nebby seems to sense the sudden weight in the air and makes a quiet, questioning sound that prompts Lillie to speech.]

Oh...! I'm so sorry! I have no idea what could have - I don't think Nebby could have...

[She and stutters the start of a sentence she can't finish - can't get herself to ask what happened because judging by how strongly he reacted, she doesn't want to know. Quietly, she concludes:]

We'll be home as soon as we can.

[yallstupid]

Don't sweat it, s'fine. And your creampuff ain't to blame, neither.

[Not...quite a lie? He did enough to keep him preoccupied, for the most part, but it was a bit rough in her absence. The house - which got quite a few nice updates, thanks to Harv - seemed so much emptier with just him in it. He barely touched her things, entering her room only to make sure everything was still in its place. He's also well aware of just how musty an old, abandoned bed can feel after a long time.

The silence is a little awkward as he finally sets Lillie down when they reach the mana pool at the back of the Storyteller's temple. He's not one for conversation, really, and he doesn't want to bring up what he did or how he felt - or what happened to him - in Lillie's absence. She doesn't need to know, and hopefully never finds out. He is curious, however...]

...Y'don't remember nothing of going back? To Alola?

[flower_of_innocence]

[Lillie smoothes out her clothes and hair, and helps Nebby back into the bag. It was...nice, to be held. Reminds her of better times. But that's not something she'll indulge right now - lest it summon the specter of her mother again. At Guzma's question she looks a bit confused.

Did she go home during that time? Is that where Luna went? To her, it was as if she'd blinked and just appeared there on the beach. The thought that if she ever did go home, she might forget all of this makes her stomach twist. Maybe...maybe the islands weren't so bad. Maybe she could stay here, if Guzma stays. And even if he leaves, maybe she'll be okay staying anyway. She doesn't want to forget the side of him she's come to know.]

No, I'm sorry...I'm not even sure I went back. I was on the islets one moment and here the next.